Dice Roll of Fate
by Stikes2018
Summary: DISCONTINUED Shirou Emiya the eventual Iron Wrought Hero, suddenly finds himself in an unfamiliar world with an all too familiar concept: Helping people. Though as he'll soon find out that while he can live out his dream of helping others, he'll have to face the dangers that these people face on a daily basis with an unlikely band of heroes.
1. Chapter 1

Shirou Emiya always had a pension for getting into…undesirable situations. It was in his nature to help anyone and everyone, regardless of the situation and the adversary he faced. After all he'd faced countless foes ranging from: Dead Apostles to Heroic Spirits.

So when he found himself in the middle of a lush green field one could imagine his confusion. He peeked left and right, seeing the field stretched as far as the eye could see.

Shirou sighed.

_He definitely wasn't anywhere near London anymore…_

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The young magus arrived at a frontier town after some amount of walking, not that he particularly minded. The landscape was quite nice, as were the locals he managed to meet along the way.

"_Now where is it?"_ Shirou asked himself, to approach the locals earlier he had to tell them he was looking for work. (That wasn't necessarily a lie, but it wasn't true either.) Those he met instructed him to head for the local _Adventurer's Guild_ in town.

It was honestly hard to miss, it was most likely the largest building in town. So Shirou decided to absentmindedly walk towards it as he recounted what the information he had gathered from the locals he had met.

_First. _He was obviously not in London anymore, when the locals asked him where he was from he found himself without an answer as he didn't recognize any of the names of the towns, nor could he figure out what the name of the Capital was.

Next was what caught his attention.

He was told to get to town before dark, apparently he was in an area notorious for monster attacks. Specifically Goblins, while Shirou had faced many manner of creatures in the past goblins were creatures he wasn't really well acquainted with. Meaning that he hadn't been tried to be killed by this creature at least once, a part of his was somewhat curious to what these creatures looked like.

Did they really have green skin, and wielded clubs made from whatever they could find? Were they as sharp as a circular table top?

The other part of him wanted to find these creatures and put an end to them, making sure the people in the area could sleep soundly in their beds at night without fear of a goblin attacking them.

He let out a silent chuckle; he hadn't really changed much in the past few years. He was still as focused as ever to achieve his goal of becoming a _Hero of Justice. _He owed it to both Saber and the version of himself who came to make sure he wouldn't lead a life of falsehoods, albeit in his own special way involving a _Reality Marble _and several dozen copies of famous swords.

Still, he wasn't the same Shirou Emiya. He knew that his actions had consequences thanks to Rin beating it into his head, his life mattered. As she put it: "_If you die, then who's going to save the next person in need?"_ he had to admit he agreed.

* * *

When Shirou reached the door of the guild he mentally prepared himself. From what he gathered, Adventurers were heroes for hire, not mercenaries. They had their own moral code, so heroes for hire didn't seem too farfetched of a conclusion to reach.

As his hand reached for the doorknob the old wooden door swung open, a bell jingling as it did. Out came a group of Adventurers, a young man with a sword (Which he immediately added to the Unlimited Blade Works.) a girl dressed in eastern clothing, a second girl with a wooden staff, and a third girl dressed in white vestments who had managed to bump into his shoulder.

"I-I'm sorry." She stuttered out, she must've been new to the adventuring profession. Shirou offered her a smile. "It's fine, no harm done."

Shirou watched as she ran off after her comrades before entering the guilt. Within it were adventurers of all shapes and sizes, and even races. Humans and Demi-Humans were speaking to one another, he managed to overhear one of them speaking about tactics, and another speaking about their last adventure where they had saved a town from a group of bandits.

After managing to head to the counter he was greeted by a cheerful young woman with light brown hair, and eyes that resembled a shade of gold. "Hello there." She greeted. "I haven't seen you before, are you planning on becoming an adventurer?"

"Oh no, I'm somewhat new in town." Shirou began. "I was wondering if I could find some work." The girl placed a finger on her chin, and began to tap it. "Well…the only job Id really recommend is becoming an adventurer."

"_Of course."_ Shirou thought. "I was thinking more along the lines of labourer?"

"Adventurer." She repeated.

"Problem Solver."

"Adventurer." She said once more, a smile still displayed on her face. Shirou didn't really know how to talk to people like her, how he wished Rin was here she'd make it immediately clear what kind of work we were looking for.

Shirou sighed. "What do Adventurers do?"

"I'm glad you asked." She replied. "Adventurers are individuals who dedicate their lives to helping others for prestige and monetary compensation, behind you is the Quest Board." Shirou glanced to where the girl had directed, seeing a bulletin board littered with papers, and tacks.

"This is where all available jobs are posted. Why don't you see if anything catches your interest?" The male did as he was told and began to survey the board, his expression changing every now and then; his emotions ranging from intrigue to surprise.

_Though what most wouldn't know is that he couldn't read anything on the board._

Shirou weighed his options, he was currently in a world where he didn't have any money for. He didn't have a place to stay, nor did he have a kitchen to cook his meals in, and even if he wanted to work for his keep he couldn't do anything substantial like work in an office. (As if he could.) he wouldn't be able to, due to the fact he couldn't read.

He honestly didn't have a choice, but to become an adventurer. He walked back to the girl at the counter and feigned deep thought. "I think I will become an adventurer." She perked up, clasping her hands by her face as she expressed her delight in Shirou's choice.

"That's wonderful." She began. "Now if you'd be so kind as to fill up the necessary paperwork." She sad directing Shirou's attention to a neatly stacked pile of papers on the counter. Shirou could feel his eye twitch. "Um…could you help me with this? I can't read."

After a few strenuous hours of filling in the appropriate paperwork Shirou had finally managed to find respite. He didn't know he could feel tired from writing in his basic information, and falsifying information on the fly, and he refused to think about how long it took him to write everything down in the native language.

At least there was an upside.

The girl who had introduced herself as _Guild Girl_, had finally finished registering him into the extensive list of adventurers who frequented the Adventurer's Guild. "There I'm done." She said, then proceeded to hand Shirou a small leather bag and a necklace that resembled a dog tag that many American marines would wear.

"That tag serves as your identification, and rank." Guild Girl informed. "Currently you are ranked Porcelain, the lowest of the 10 ranks." She smiled warmly at him. "Congratulations, you are now an adventurer."

Shirou couldn't help but feel relived, he was in a familiar line of work: Helping people; and while Rin may or may not have approved of his decision, what she didn't know wouldn't hurt her.

"Does this mean I can go out on adventures now?" Shirou asked.

"Of course." Guild Girl replied. "Though…" Her sudden shift in tone was a cause of concern for Shirou. "Though?" he mimicked.

"You wouldn't happen to have a change of attire would you?" Shirou glanced down at his person and saw what she had meant. His lime green cardigan, and jeans honestly made him stick out like the proverbial sore thumb, it was a miracle no one had brought it up prior to this conversation with Guild Girl.

Shirou smiled. "Of course, is there anywhere I could change into them?"

"There is a room in the back that we use as a storehouse, you could use it if you'd like." Shirou followed her direction, and entered the backroom, there he stretched his arms letting the tightness in his joints relieve.

"Okay, let's get started." The ginger checking the door then making sure it was locked before he readied himself, he shut his eyes and took a breath. "Trace on." Heat filled his body as all 27 of his _Magic Circuits _came to life, filling with magical energy taken from the very air around him.

Shirou fell to his knees and began retching, the edges of his vision began to blur as he quickly willed his circuits to close, ceasing the intake of _Mana _from the atmosphere. He stayed in this position for a moment, as he tried to steady his breathing.

"_You idiot!" _He scolded himself, he failed to realize a crucial detail that may have almost just killed him. If Phantasmals such as Goblins and other monsters roamed the land, and were common place here it must have meant that the _Age of Gods_ had yet to end in this world. If that were the case it would explain the Mana density in the atmosphere, he'd need to slowly adjust to this, if not he'd get a repeat of what had just happened earlier…maybe worse if he wasn't careful.

Shirou managed to get into a seated position, and breathed. "Trace on." He muttered, a gradual heat once again began to envelop his body. It was taking intense focus for Shirou to only activate a smaller number of his 27 circuits. Afterwards he counted 14 out of 27 circuits active, while this may have limited himself to his weaker _Noble Phantasms_, he'd return to full strength in time. Maybe after a week he'd be able to raise the number to 17 maybe 20 if he wouldn't feel any adverse effects.

Though first he needed a change of clothes. Shirou focused as he recounted the steps to _Tracing _an object.

Judging the concept of creation

Hypothesizing the basic structure

Duplicating the composition material

Imitating the skill of its making

Sympathizing with the experience of its growth

Reproducing the accumulated years

Excelling every manufacturing process

The magical energy he was expelling was beginning to take shape before him, it was the only outfit that felt right to him. The magical energy began to materialize on his body as his clothes were replaced with sleeveless black body armor, as well as a pair of black amored pants, steel toed boots, and finally a red mantle. It was _his _armor, and he'd don it to protect the innocents just as he did.

Though while it was everything Shirou imagined and more, there was always room for improvement. His hand brushed over the right sleeve, and caused it to vanish. He willed the magical energy still lingering to reform into a different form, and brushed the same hand over his forehead causing a scarlet bandana to appear.

He smiled, it felt more him. Though the design was taken from Archer, he made some improvements. After all, there is no rule that says a fake cannot surpass the original; nor is there a rule that a faker cannot surpass another.

When Shirou returned to the main hall he was greeted by Guild Girl who offered him a warm smile. "It suits you." She said. "It's as if you were meant to wear that."

Shirou let out a nervous chuckle, "_If you only knew." _he thought.

"I have a favour to ask of you if it's no trouble." Shirou did not hesitate and approached the counter, his compulsion to help was acting up again. "What is it?"

"There was a group of Adventurers that left earlier. They were all Porcelain rank like you." Shirou could almost feel something was wrong. "They all set out to clear out a nest of Goblins, and while they are the weakest of all monsters I think-"

"I understand." Shirou cut in. "I'll go and see if they need my help." Guild Girl smiled widely, as she handed him the flyer that contained the information regarding the quest. He thanked her and then bolted out of the Guild, his expression changing into one that knew the dangers of underestimating your opponents.

Shirou recalled his experience of dealing with _Crest Worms_, they weren't the most physically imposing creature but they were dangerous nonetheless. They were able to drain a Magus' reserves of Magical Energy if there were enough of them feeding on the mage they'd die within minutes.

Shirou reached the cave on the outskirts of town in under 10 minutes no thanks in part to him reinforcing his legs. The cave was just a dark maw that stretched as far as his vision would allow, he didn't have anything that could start a fire nor did he want to use any of his Projections just to start a blaze. Shirou chuckled at the thought of him Projecting a copy of_ Laevatein_, the sword of the Fire Giant; Surtr from Norse Mythology to light a torch.

Instead he activated his circuits once more, and diverted the flow of magical energy towards his eyes. Reinforcing them, and thereby enhancing his eyesight. He could now see through the darkness of the cave, then rushed in; for in the distance he saw a figure walking towards him. The walk was delayed, and hampered indicating an injury.

Shirou rushed in, throwing caution to the wind. He had one goal and one goal only:

_He had to save them…_

* * *

Within the cave the young blonde adventurer struggled to get to the cave's opening. The goblins had overwhelmed the whole party, weren't goblins supposed to be dumb? That was what everyone was saying back at the Guild, then why did this happen?

_Warrior_ died and was dismembered, what was left of him probably decorated the floor back in the deeper parts of the caverns…

_Wizard_'s robes were stained with blood as more and more spilled out of her body, it didn't help that the blade that she was stabbed with was forcefully pulled out afterwards. The cleric pushed forwards, the exit had to be near. Then the cleric remembered the final casualty.

_Fighter_ was…she sacrificed herself for their own survival, she allowed herself to suffer…

_I need to find help_

Then…a sharp pain, time seemed to slow as the cleric fell to the ground. An arrow was fired and lodged into the cleric's shoulder.

The goblins had caught up to them, kicked the cleric aside and prepared to violate wizard. Tearing away her clothes, and laughing in glee as they did so. The scent of blood mingled with the scent of petricor from within the cave, a third scent reached the cleric's nostrils. The scent of urine, it seemed to have reached the goblins as well, the pair that defiled wizard were now staring at her; their shrill laughs of glee. If this was their version of mercy, to ridicule their opponents-no the cleric wasn't even a threat to them…

Then from the darkness, a steady sound of tapping reached the group. Then without warning, an arrow embedded itself into the skull of the goblin standing over wizard.

* * *

Shirou rushed into the fray, his reinforced muscles allowing him to move quickly and easily through the uneven terrain. His circuits flared as he willed another weapon into existence. Blue light flashed as his mana took physical form, into a bow.

The goblin was only 30 feet away…though he might as well been standing directly in front of the arrow, since there was no way Shirou was going to miss; not at this distance.

Shirou loosed the arrow, it flew straight and true. Embedding itself into the skull of one of the goblins.

The remaining survivor seemed to be somewhat smarter, because as soon as his comrade died he pulled the girl in white vestments by the hair. She let out a pained yelp as she was pulled back; the goblin raised its sickly green colored hand and readied to hit the girl over the head with the club it held in its hand. Shirou nocked a second arrow into his bow, and fired.

The goblin must have thought it was being sneaky, as it pulled the girl into the flight path of the arrow and ran. Poor unsuspecting fool, little did he know he fought somewhat who was the definition of sneaky. The arrow curved around the girl's figure, and then killed the goblin by entering through his eye socket.

Two thumps sounded in the cave, the first was the goblin falling to the ground it was dead. The second was the hair from the girl the arrow had managed to cut when it had redirected.

Shirou let out a breath, and jogged over to the girl.

"Are you okay?" Shirou asked, the girl nodded slighty. He glanced back the goblins he had dispatched, and then back to her. "Are you hurt anywhere?" The girl on the verge of tears pointed wordlessly to a lump a few feet away, Shirou did not hesitate and rushed over to the lump. It was a girl, she hacked up blood with every breath she took; she was dying.

No…

She wasn't not while he was around, he wouldn't let her. He sat down next to the dying girl, and began. It did not take long, it only took a moment. He traced the only thing he knew that could save her, the one object he could trace perfectly.

_Avalon._

He placed the holy scabbard on the girl with haste, as her gasps became less sporadic and steadier. This should keep her alive, her injury was bad but it was nothing Avalon wouldn't be able to heal.

"Impressive." A voice called out, causing Shirou to turn. His attention directed at the voice, what he saw almost made him draw his weapons if it wasn't for the fact that he had more self-control thanks to his time with Rin.

"Who are you?" He asked, his eyes glancing over the cheap looking steel helmet and leather armor. He could say for certain however that this person was a female, if it wasn't for the voice or the breastplate he would've assumed otherwise.

"Goblin Slayer." Was her simple reply, there was something off about her. Shirou couldn't tell what it was, but it was something…familiar. But aside from that was this person seriously called Goblin Slayer?

"Where are the Goblins?" She asked, her voice almost mechanical. There wasn't any emotion in it, then it had hit him. Trauma…was this person like him? What had happened? So many questions had rushed through Shirou's mind as he reminisced his own tragedies.

_The Fuyuki Fire_

_Illya._

_The hell his ideals would someday drag him to…_

He shook his head, and watched as the newcomer weaved in between him and the girl. The girl he had used Avalon on was hacking blood once again. Was it not enough? No that's impossible, Avalon heals all wounds fatal or otherwise.

"Is this your magic?" Goblin Slayer asked.

"Yes, it should finish healing her wounds within the hour." He replied. Goblin Slayer took a knife from her belt and placed it atop the girl's heart. "You're wasting your time." Was all she said before plunging the blade into the dying girl's chest.

Shirou almost throttled her right then and there if it wasn't for the girl in white. "What was that?! We could've saved her!"

Goblin Slayer straightened, even without taking off her helmet Shirou could tell that she was looking directly at him. "Goblin blades are poisoned, not by any poisonous plants or any animal venom, but from the filth that comes from them. Their blood, feces, and whatever else they manage to kill. It is extremely potent, and unless an antidote is taken immediately there is no hope of survival."

Shirou clenched his teeth. "You don't know that…" The projection of Avalon vanishing, as his eyes filled with a silent determination to prove Goblin Slayer wrong. "You can save everyone in front of you, all you need to do is try!"

"I see." Was the only reply she gave, Shirou wanted nothing more than to reinforce his fist and drive it through that cheap steel helmet. Shirou glanced down to the girl who was still holding onto him. She was trying desperately to keep Shirou calm, she even began praying to someone called the Holy Earth Mother.

"I am going to kill all the Goblins in this cave." Goblin Slayer announced. "Will you join me?" Shirou looked down at the girl who nodded, and picked up her staff. Goblin Slayer looked at him as if to say: "And you?"

"I'm coming too, I'll help keep her safe." Shirou said, the "Her" in question was the girl in white, who raised one of her hands.

"Um…I'm Priest." Shirou deadpanned, at this new information.

"Priest…not Priestess?" Shirou asked hoping he could salvage what remained of this situation without feeling any awkwardness. Priest shook his head, Shirou let out a sigh.

_Rin would've laughed at him if she was here.  
_

* * *

**Okay welcome to this mess of a story, I'm participating in a writing contest so I hope the people who find this enjoy it to some extent. I don't write much, but I love Fate so I jumped at the chance to write a story about it. **

**Please don't be too harsh with me.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello to everyone, I am extremely thankful for the feedback the prologue got. I'll be taking time in here to answer some of the questions and explain myself for certain choices.**

**Why Genderbend Goblin Slayer and Priestess?**

**The reason for this is because I entered a writing contest, the main requirements were having Shirou as the main character, and that the main hero and heroine in the crossover had to be genderbent. I wanted to keep the gender bending to a minimum, but I still needed to be eligible to enter the contest.**

**Why did Avalon not heal Wizard instantly? **

**While Avalon is an EX Rank Noble Phantasm in terms of healing, heck it even made Saber functionally immortal so long as she had it in her possession. It is however dependent on its link with Saber, without the link its healing properties are diminished, and if separated from her long enough it enters a dormant state where it heals its user at a slightly faster pace than a normal person would naturally. The Avalon used previously was the former, where it was healing Wizard but not removing the poison. Think the same situation as Deadpool, where he wasn't dying from cancer because he was healing faster than the cancer could kill him. Wizard was dying slower thanks to Avalon, but you all know how that ended. I take fault for not clearly writing it in.**

**Goblin Slayer just straight up murdering Wizard.**

**This is another case of me just not writing it in clearly, but my reasoning was this: Goblin Slayer has dealt with situations like these before, stating that it is a common occurrence. Antidotes and Healing spells exist, but unless taken immediately after being poisoned it won't save you; and healing spells do jack against goblin poison as evidenced by priestess using Heal on Wizard only to have her still be affected by poison later.**

**A special thanks to those who basically sent me a cheat sheet regarding things Fate. My exposure to Fate mostly consists of: The Anime versions of: Stay Night, UBW, Zero, Oath Under Snow, and Apocrypha. Fate/Grand Order, and a Playthrough of the Unlimited Blade Works Route from the original Visual Novel that I played at a friend's house when I was 14. **

**I promise I'll get better as the story progresses, and no more not writing stuff in because I'll assume other people will know why.**

* * *

Shirou accompanied by Goblin Slayer, and the young Priest marched on forward deeper into the cave. Their only source of light coming from the torch Goblin Slayer held in her hand, she walked as if she had done so hundreds of times. Shirou found that number to be quite low, as no one could carry themselves like this with only a few hundred expeditions, if he had to guess her experience in terms of number of quests ranged in the thousands.

He glanced over to Priest who they kept in between their small party, the shoulder of his white garment stained red from his blood. Shirou thought back to how he had almost let him die, not even thinking that the arrows the goblins used could be laced with the same poison that killed Wizard.

As much as it displeased him, he had Goblin Slayer's experience to thank for the survival of the cleric walking in between them.

"Can you tell me about the Goblins you encountered?" Goblin Slayer asked, not bothering to look back as she did. "How many were there? Was there a big one?"

"I wasn't able to count, but there was one that was larger compared to the others." Priest's grip on his staff grew tighter, he didn't want to think what that larger one could be doing right now. "That was a Hobgoblin, they must've taken a wanderer as a guard."

Shirou was lost, he didn't know what they were talking about, but there appeared to be goblin subspecies. He made a note to try and research the various creatures in this world when he got back to the guild, he'd need Guild Girl to translate for him, but it was better than just assuming that certain monsters operated like those in his world only to find out that they did not.

The party came to a stop as Goblin Slayer shone the torch in her hand on the grizzly remains of a corpse. Priest went pale as he began to retch, and vomited against the one of the walls of the cave.

Shirou took in the sight, this is what would have happened to the young Priest if he hadn't stepped in. Goblin Slayer picked a sword from the ground and inspected it, as did Shirou as he added it to the Reality Marble. "This is far too long to swing in a cave." She commented. Shirou couldn't help but agree, the blade was a long sword; not suited for close range combat within a cave. He could guess how this particular adventurer died, and this sword must've played a part.

"How did this happen?" Shirou asked. Priest seemed to still be busy emptying out his insides while Goblin Slayer wordlessly walked to a darkened corner of the cave. She moved her hand, the light from her torch illuminating a second passageway.

"Can you guess what happened?" She asked. Shirou assumed that the party Priest came here with went down the other cavern, completely missing the other one. "How were they not at all the least bit curious, on why there seemed to be a spot in the cave that was darker than the rest?" he asked.

His answer came from Priest this time, who had manage to get up to his feet whilst wiping off the trace of vomit from his mouth. "It was because we were all looking at that." He said pointing to what seemed to be a pole, it was decorated with animal bones and a quilt that seemed to be too ornate to be made by goblin hands. Shirou assumed it was something the Goblins used in their worship, though it was hard to believe those monsters had something they believed in.

"It's a common mistake for rookies." Goblin Slayer's helmet rotated towards them. "Remember Goblins may not be the brightest, but they aren't fools." It was starting to dawn on Shirou that while he may have had the firepower, and the techniques to fight off any manner of creature in his world,but this world was not his. He didn't know the rules to these monsters, and if this was common knowledge he could only blame his own inability to understand the written language of this world.

"This horde is being led by a Shaman." Now the goblins could use spells?!

"A Shaman?" Priest echoed.

"It's a type of practitioner of magic." Shirou interjected. "Think of them as priests to the gods that they serve." Goblin Slayer returned to scanning the darkness, how well she could see in the dark was something Shirou did not know, but as a precaution he reinforced his eyesight to be able to somewhat see in the dark.

"How many where in your party?"

"Four." Priest replied.

"Was the last one a woman?" Priest's eyes widened, he seemed to remember something. He didn't even need to answer as Goblin Slayer analysed the situation. "They dragged her deeper into the cave it seems."

"Why would they do that?" Shirou asked.

"Goblins know nothing but to steal, and they don't live very long considering that adventurers like to use them for training. Another reason is that there are no females in their species. So like everything they do, their offspring comes from a stolen female." Goblin slayer didn't need to say anything more to make Shirou understand, he honestly wished he didn't ask. He now wanted nothing more than to kill these abominations.

There was no more time to spare, Shirou rushed towards the darkness while Goblin Slayer and Priest were still discussing strategy. He had no need for a torch when he could reinforce his eyes, the blueprints for Kanshou and Bakuya ready in his mind ready to be Traced at a moment's notice, and not a moment too soon as a few feet into Shirou's sprint he ran into one of the little abominations.

It wasn't armed, but he'd rather kill it as fast as he could regadless. He picked up speed, ramming his knee into the Goblin's now deformed nose. The Goblin fell back, blood gushing from its nose. Shirou did not stop, he quickly dropped to a knee skidding onto the green man's chest. Pinned under Shirou's weight, he quickly traced the married blades and drove the ivory blade where its nose used to be.

Shirou let out a breath, and pushed back the desire to retch. The smell of goblin blood was unlike anything he'd ever smelled before, and he had been in his fair share of situations where the stench of death coated the air.

"You didn't get very far did you?" Shirou turned his head, there Goblin Slayer and Priest stood. The former now equipped with a spear, and walked past Shirou. "How can you move about as if there aren't lives at stake?" he asked.

"Am I?" She asked. "I see then, I just do not wish to rush in and put myself at risk." Shirou felt an involuntary twitch in his eye, he inhaled a breath not caring about the stench from the goblin corpse. "Let me ask you this." Goblin Slayer began. "If we were to die, who will save those in this cave?" It was taking all of his self-control

Shirou bit his lip, she made a valid point. No she didn't…he had enough weapons stored up to annihilate several caves of goblins and still have enough for several more after. NO! He scolded himself, he was contradicting himself; Shirou told himself earlier that he wouldn't assume these things would be easy, he needed to learn…he wasn't in his world.

"I understand." Shirou answered, he said nothing more as the married blades vanished back into the marble. The young priest must've sensed his agitation, and placed a calming hand on his back. "Miss Goblin Slayer, could you please repeat the plan you discussed for..er.."

"Shirou."

"R-Right, please?" Goblin Slayer said nothing as she walked forward. Then..."Follow me, and I'll tell you." Shirou and the young cleric obliged, once again trailing behind Goblin Slayer in the same arrangement as earlier.

"What is it you do?" Started Goblin Slayer. "What spells can you use?"

"I make swords." Shirou replied. "I can make other things too, but I'd bore you with the specifics. So for now, let's limit it to swords." Goblin Slayer did not miss a beat with the next question. "How many times can you cast this?"

Shirou tilted his head in confusion. "How many times? I can do it as much as I want so long as I have the Magical Energy." Priest stopped in his tracks, quickly turning to Shirou with a look of shock. "H-How is that possible?!"

Shirou didn't understand what she meant, was the ability to cast spells here limited by a certain amount per day? If so was he subject to that rule as well? He needed to be careful with his projections regardless, after all he wasn't using all of his Magic Circuits so he technically didn't have his usual firepower at his disposal.

Thankfully the conversation was abandoned when Goblin Slayer held out a hand signalling the party to stop. "Cast Holy Light." She said. Priest nodded, Goblin Slayer turned to Shirou. "I suggest you equip yourself with a spear or another weapon that has a lot of reach."

A spear?

Shirou smiled at the suggestion, his mind already set on the crimson spear that he had been acquainted with on multiple occasions. The atmosphere in the cave seemed to change the moment the spear began to materialize, Priest even stopped in the preparation of his spell.

"W-What is that?" He managed to ask. "T-That spear is evil…" Shirou could see the fear in his eyes, but decided to ignore them. "I know you're afraid, but I need it to save whoever is trapped in here."

The young cleric couldn't speak up anymore; Shirou turned back to the entrance of a deeper cavern that was probably where the Goblins were. He stood ready, his stance emulating that of the Irish Demigod he had borrowed the spear from.

"Once you use Holy Light, return to the entrance like we discussed." Goblin Slayer reminded.

_O merciful Earth Mother, please bless us…_

She turned to Shirou. "Once they're blinded we rush in, and eliminate the immediate threats."

_The wanderers in the darkness…_

"I'll deal with the Hob." Shirou suggested. "I can kill it in one hit." Goblin Slayer wasn't even looking at him anymore, her gaze focused into the darkness. Probably estimating the number of Goblins and how to react once the number was determined.

"I see." She replied, still monotonous in tone. "I'll leave it to you then."

_With Holy Light!_

Shirou kept his gaze locked forward, in his peripherals the landscape was suddenly awash with a blinding radiance that he could only liken to a certain holy sword. He and Goblin Slayer did not waste a moment as they rushed into the now illuminated cavern. Shirou whilst moving at a fast pace, he saw all that these monsters had wrought.

Scattered across the ground were the remains of what he assumed were adventurers, some were dying and others seemed to wish for death. Shirou's rage was ignited as he took in the scene, his gaze locked onto the larger Hobgoblin as the tip of the cursed spear burned bright.

"Your heart is mine!" He declared, as the larger goblin stiffened. The deed was already done, all that was needed to do was to call out its True Name.

_**Gae Bolg!**_

The Hobgoblin collapsed into a heap, while Shirou was just barely able to catch a glimpse of Goblin Slayer using the spear she wielded to impale the Goblin Shaman, before she turned tail and rushed out of the cavern.

Shirou counted five Goblins scattered across the room, still dazed. He decided against killing them, not without possibly getting overwhelmed in the process by sheer number from an ambush from an obscure angle. He also wasn't aware of the cave's layout making the former scenario plausible.

He quickly ran after Goblin Slayer, just as the spell from the young cleric was beginning to wear off. He had just reached the mouth of the cavern where Goblin Slayer and Priest were waiting for him.

Then…

_H…_

It was faint, Shirou found himself coming to a screeching halt. He stood at the cusp of relative safety, he could faintly see the outlines of the pair he had come here with. It may have been nothing, he argued; just the sound of a goblin gasping for breath.

_H..elp me…_

"_Oh root help me."_ He thought, as he quickly turned around. One of the women were still conscious, a girl with a ponytail. Her eyes were desperate, her hand was outstretched in an attempt to reach out to Shirou.

There was no hesitation in Shirou's movements, he rushed back into the cavern just as the goblins had recovered from their induced blindness. Shirou's arms were around the girl not a moment later. He hoisted her up, then ran for the entrance.

Though with the added weight, Shirou was now slower. The goblins were able to close the distance between them if they continued this pace, the trigger in his mind fired off. Any of them would do, any nameless blade would do, and there was no time to choose.

_Trace Bullet….SUCCESSIVE FIRE _

None of the five goblins remained intact after that, their last sights must've been nothing more than a flash of quicksilver. Shirou's laboured breaths filled the silence in the cavern, the only sounds that rivalled his breaths were the gurgling sounds of the goblins he had eviscerated, some of them were probably hit in a non-lethal area, but it was enough to cripple them.

Hurried steps quickly came from the top of the cavern, where Goblin Slayer and the young Priest came from. "Are you okay?! You never came back so we-" Shirou silenced him with a wave of his hand, gesturing to the girl he had in his arms.

Priest's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates as he quickly took the girl from Shirou, the former straightened himself out and stood beside Goblin Slayer. "Some of them are still alive."

"Then we'll check, and kill them." Goblin Slayer had a club equipped, while Shirou picked up one of the blades he had fired off as a projectile earlier from a goblin he had managed to shoot right in the face.

"Agreed." The pair began their search for any survivors among the goblins, and then making sure they didn't survive. The Shaman was one of these goblins, who seemed to have not learned anything from his encounter with this specific party of adventurers as it jumped to try and claw Goblin Slayer's face off, only to be bludgeoned by the club in Goblin Slayer's hand.

Priest walked forward, still carrying the unconscious girl Shirou had saved. The later traced a simple blanket and draped it over the girl. "How is she?" He asked.

Priest shook his head. "She's really out of it, they abused her so much in such a little time. It's a miracle she can even sleep somewhat soundly." Priest's grip on her tightened. "I can't imagine what she's been through."

"What do we do from here?" Shirou asked.

Goblin Slayer seemed to answer this question by kicking over the makeshift throne the Shaman had. Behind it was a crudely made secret room, it was nothing but a panel of wood that covered a small compartment that was hidden behind the throne.

When the wooden panel was removed Shirou was surprised, there were little Goblin children. All of them cowering in fear, most likely at the sight of Goblin Slayer.

"Baby Goblins?" Priest asked.

"They multiply quickly, if we wasted anytime there might have been a horde of 50 down here waiting for us." Shirou took note of that tidbit of information, then looked back to the girl in Priest's arms. No wonder she seemed so broken, being defiled then giving birth to an abomination like this was a fate worse than death.

Priest seemed like he wanted to say something, but Shirou stopped him before he could. "Let's get her to safety." He suggested. "Goblin Slayer, we'll be heading on ahead." For the next part Shirou made sure the cleric was out of earshot. "Do what you need to do."

He hurried Priest out of the cave, the last thing he heard before reaching the outside world once again were the terrified squeals and mewlings of the goblin offspring. Shirou had formed a conclusion as he walked, taking into account everything he had seen today: this world was horrible…

* * *

_They say it's a common occurrence…_

_Goblins attacking a village and kidnapping young women, a party of rookie adventurers going to slay goblins, only to be slain themselves. _

_Rescued girls joining temples due to their despair after being treated as the goblin's playthings…_

Shirou glanced up at Guild Girl who recounted these so called common occurrences, her expression somber yet adjusted. She took a sip from her cup of whatever liquid she could find in the backroom, then seemed to stare at her reflection on the liquid's surface.

"Was this at all at what you expected being an Adventurer to be?" She asked. The young magus shook his head, his mind drifting as he wondered what the more dangerous monsters were like. "I thought goblins were supposed to be the easy monsters."

Many think that as well…

Goblin Slayer said as she came into view, her grimy leather armor and cheap looking steel helmet were unmistakable. "Though many adventurers lose their entire party, all because they underestimate the little abominations."

"Why do you think that goblins hold one of the highest mortality rates of all the monsters?" She asked, Shirou looked to Guild Girl who confirmed. "Being burned alive by the flame of a dragon, or being ripped apart by wolves; is a mercy compared to facing a goblin and losing. With them at least you'll die quick, but with goblins…you feel powerless, you become powerless, and helpless as you watch those around you die or be used for their amusement."

What was that about? Was she really? Or did she watch? Questions such as these, and many others raced through Shirou's mind, however only one managed to escape through his lips. "Where's the Priest?"

"He's tending to the one we found. As for me, I've finished my report." Goblin Slayer answered, handing Guild Girl a stack of papers with neat handwriting; at least that was what Shirou thought, he couldn't understand the language still.

"Thank you." Guild Girl beamed. "What will you be doing now?"

"I'll be heading home, then I'll check the farm for goblins." She replied. Shirou however had just realized something, he had no place to call home. Maybe there was an inn nearby, he could work for his room and then hopefully begin paying them once he had more money from his time as an adventurer.

"Is something on your mind?" Guild Girl asked.

"Oh…well you see." Shirou began, rubbing the back of his head. It honestly pained him to do this, but he had no choice. "You wouldn't happen to know where I could stay for tonight, would you?" Guild Girl brought her hand to her chin, she seemed to be deep in thought.

"There are rooms at the guild that adventurers rent out sometimes, but they aren't very cheap. You're better off staying at an inn." She replied. "I could help you find a place to stay once I finish my shift."

Shirou waved her off. "No, please don't. I can do that myself." He said as he got up. "Thank you, I'll be taking my leave now." One curt bow to both Goblin Slayer and Guild Girl later, Shirou had vanished from the room. Goblin Slayer stood by Guild Girl without moving an inch, while the latter seemed to worry about the redhead.

* * *

Shirou had been walking around town aimlessly for the past hour or so, he finally had time to himself after this…"exciting" day. There was just so much information to process, so many questions but he wouldn't let that overwhelm him. He had to take it slow, get his thoughts in order.

What had he learned today?

First, the magic in this world was different from his own. His Magecraft would be considered as _Magic _here, but there were both pros and cons to this. His Magecraft was completely dependent on the Magical Energy he had in his system, however his Projections weren't at full strength and if Goblins; which almost everyone considered as the least threatening were actually this dangerous he shuddered at the thought of facing something stronger like a Dragon or a Dead Apostle.

He wouldn't dare try facing them, not unless he had access to his stronger Noble Phantasms. He just hoped he acclimated to the Mana Density in the atmosphere quickly.

As for the magic in this world, from the limited information he got from Goblin Slayer and Priest, it seemed that everyone was able to use a set amount of spells per day. However their spells were limited, but powerful if the right one was assigned. He didn't seem to be affected however, so this was a good sign.

Shirou wondered how Rin would react to this magic system if she was here, but she wasn't…it was just him.

Shirou glanced down the cobblestone street, and saw an older man probably in his early 30's who seemed to be struggling with the wheel on his cart.

"Excuse me, is everything okay?" Shirou asked, the man looked up at him and wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand. "It's fine, my cart just isn't what it used to be." He replied.

Shirou stepped forward, and inspected the cart. The main problem was that the wheel had somehow managed to fall off, and break into two pieces. The cart was tipped over, but thankfully whatever cargo was on the cart seemed to be nothing more than empty jars.

Shirou could've easily fixed this, but he wasn't really the best when it came to Projecting objects made of wood. Pipes and mugs; sure they were easy, but wood? No, out of the question.

There was only one thing to do. "I'll handle it." Shirou declared, as he picked up the cart balancing the weight of the cart on the remaining wheel it had. "Where to?"

"Are you sure kid?" He asked. "My farm is a little ways off, I can handle it myself." Shirou shook his head, displaying a smile. "It's no bother at all, now shall we?"

The man let out a defeated sigh, as he began to walk parallel to Shirou. He may have been alone, but at least this feeling was familiar to him. Regardless of the world, he'd help as many people as he could; it was what he wanted after all…

And all he knew.

A little while into their walk Shirou took in the scenery of the countryside. He found it amazing that a beautiful countryside was only a 10 minute walk out of the town, the man seemed to have noticed Shirou's amazement and let out a cough.

"Not from around these parts I take it?" He asked.

_If only you knew. _

"Yeah." He answered. "I never got to see scenery like this from where I was from. It was always people and houses, not that I mind. I loved my home."

"So what made you decide to come out to these parts?" He asked. If this kept going, Shirou would run out of half-truths eventually he needed to keep the conversation on his companion. "I always wanted to help people, so I came out here to be an adventurer." He turned to the man. "What about you?"

"I just run a farm." He started. "It was originally my sister's, but when she married she left the farm with me. Now it's just me and my nice, just trying to make an honest living."

"That's admirable." Shirou commented.

The man let out a chuckle. "Kid, the only admirable thing is that you'd stop and help a stranger. I just hope the inn you're staying at keeps its doors unlocked."

"It's no trouble." Shirou replied, the man rolled his eyes. How many times had he said those words while on their little walk. "Still, you wouldn't happen to know where to get a cheap inn would you?"

The man turned to Shirou. "Don't have a place to stay?" The redhead shook his head.

"Well…why don't you stay the night at my farm? It's the least I can do." Shirou quickly began shaking his head. "No, you don't have to do that. I'd hate to impose."

"Nonsense!" The man insisted. "Meeting an adventurer who helps others without expecting much in return is a nice change of pace." Shiou couldn't help but lift an eyebrow at that comment.

"Now don't you go and give me that look." The man's gaze was once again locked forwards. "I just mean that there aren't many like you. Everyone wants to be famous, or rich; to not work another day in their life." The man seemed to realize he was beginning to rant about adventurers to an adventurer. "Though what about you? What is it that you want?"

Shirou didn't need to put any thought into his answer. "I want to be a Hero of Justice. To save anyone and everyone." Then Shirou fell silent, waiting to hear the scoff that usually came from the people he shared his ideal with. Strangely the man just stared forward, blinking once before letting out a breath.

"That's a big dream." He said.

They shared no more words for the remainder of the trip, and in the silence Shirou was left with his own thoughts. He was aware of the flaws of his ideal, Archer pointed them out to him and made his point clear. However he clung to this ideal, not willing to compromise despite living his life of falsehoods so long as he clung to it.

_Never knowing how to save. Never knowing what to save. Your ideals are bankrupt. Thinking that others are more important than yourself, wishing for everyone to be happy, is just a fairy tale._

Archer…was his ideal, he was proof that if he kept going-believing in his ideal. One day he'd achieve it, but when he eventually does it destroys him. He saw the hell Archer had made for himself, and one that he'd one day share.

His time with Rin in London had definitely changed him, he thought about how he went about in difficult situations, but when it came down to it he was still determined to put his life on the line for others. There was nothing that could change his mind, because his ideals were flawed…but beautiful.

"We're here." The man said.

Shirou glanced at the farm house, it was what a stereotypical farm would look like. A humble brick farm house, rows of leafy vegetables, and even some animals such as cows.

"Make yourself at home." Instructed the man as he opened the door to his home, Shirou gently put aside the broken cart then made sure to dust off his boots before he stepped inside. The moment he did however his nose was captured by a scent, a scent that smelled of broth and spices; someone was cooking.

"I'm home!" The man announced. "Get another plate ready we have a guest."

An audible "Okay." Could've been heard from what Shirou assumed to be the kitchen. Shirou Emiya being Shirou Emiya, decided that if he was to eat in another person's home he would at least prepare his own plate.

Using the scent as his compass, Shirou made his way through the house and came upon a kitchen. When he did Shirou's mouth went dry, a girl a few years younger than himself stared back at him. Her voluptuous build was made Shirou almost call out to an old friend, though he stopped himself before he could.

_This isn't Sakura._

He reminded himself. That's right, whoever this girl was he didn't know her. He was alone in this world, no friends, no family…completely alone.

"Good evening." A mechanical voice called out to him, on his right was an individual wearing a cheap steel helmet and leather armor. It was Goblin Slayer. He honestly wasn't surprised to see her here. Oh well…

_It could've been worse._

**There we have it, the first Chapter. Please don't be too harsh with me, I'll get better I hope everyone will stick around for the next part.**


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